Colorado University Athletics
Tolan and DeSaverio Named CU Athlete of the Week
October 02, 2008 | General, Men's Golf, Soccer
BOULDER-- Golf's Derek Tolan (Senior) and Soccer player Gianna DeSaverio (senior), were named University of Colorado Athletes of the Week for the week of September 22-28. This is the first honor for of DeSaverio's career while Tolan now has two this season and four for his career.
Tolan, a Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Highlands Ranch) native won his second tournament in three tries this fall, claiming co-medalist honors in New Mexico's William H. Tucker Invitational with a 71-68-72?211 scorecard, or 5-under par on the 7,403-yard, par-72 UNM Championship course layout. He led CU to a fourth place finish in the 16-team field. The Highlands Ranch, Colo., product helped make CU history: his two wins were sandwiched around fellow senior Patrick Grady's victory last week in DU's Ron Moore Invitational, marking just the second time in school history that CU golfers have won three straight tournaments. The only other occasion was in the spring of 1981, when Steve Jones won the BYU Cougar Classic and the Arizona State Sun Devil Thunderbird, followed by Terry Kahl winning the Big Eight Championship. Tolan started off with back-to-back bogeys and then carded three birdies over the next eight holes to stand 1-under through 10. But he would bogey three of his next seven to go to 2-over with just the mammoth 602-yard, par-5 No. 18 remaining. Undaunted, he recorded his second eagle of the tournament to put a 72 in the books. In his other tournament this fall, he finished second.
DeSaverio, a Littleton, Colo. (Chatfield) native, scored three goals in two games, including the equalizer in the 1-1 tie with Oklahoma state on Sunday. She was named to the Soccer Buzz Team of the Week which is a national honor, as well as named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for her efforts. The Buffs beat Oklahoma in a 5-0 blowout, and then went on to play to a draw against the No. 12 Cowgirls of Oklahoma St.
Others nominated for this week's award were Rodney Stewart (Football), Alex Buth (volleyball), and Emily Childs (women's Golf).
Football: Rodney Stewart, Freshman, Westerville, Ohio.
Stewart rushed for his second straight 100-yard game, the second of his career; the only freshman, true or redshirt, in CU history to have more was Lamont Warren in 1991.
Volleyball: Alex Buth, Senior, East Grand Rapids, Mich.
Buth recorded a career-high 26 in the match against Texas A&M on Saturday, Sept. 27 at the Coors Events Center in Boulder. She averaged 5.20 kills per game and attacked at a .429 clip with just five errors on 49 swings, which was also a career-high. Buth recorded her 20th career double-double with 17 digs (3.40 dpg), which tied for the match high with teammate Callie Webster. Buth added five assists and a trio of block assists in the win. She recorded 27.5 points (also a career best). Her 26 kills is a team-best for the Buffs in 2008 and she was the first Buff to record 20 kills in a match (teammate Emilee Sisco also reached 20 with 20 kills against TAMU). Buth helped the Buffs to a 1-0 record during the week. This was the second five-set victory for CU this season after going 0-10 in 2007. The Buffs have now doubled their Big 12 wins from last season (1-19) with 2 in just three matches. Colorado is also 8-4 on the year with more wins than last season (6-22).
Women's Golf: Emily Childs, Freshman, Alameda, Calif.
Childs was CU's top finisher for the second straight tournament, taking seventh in the individual standings at UNM invitational. Childs, who posted a four-under 68 in round one, wrapped up the tournament with a third round score of 72 and a 210 total. The freshman now owns three-straight top-10 finishes, taking second at CSU and seventh at UNM earlier this month.
